Baby Shower

Your friends and family enjoy coming together to shower you with presents and love for your little one. Baby shower favors are a lovely way to thank guests for their presence (and their presents); go the extra mile and send them home with keepsake baby shower favors they will actually treasure.

Consider whether or not your shower has a theme. If so, you may want to carry that through with your baby shower favors (and if you don't yet have a theme, perhaps creative favors can give you some ideas). Ducks are a popular theme, particularly for those who aren't finding out the sex of the baby ahead of time. The "About to Hatch" Kitchen Egg Timer or the Ducky Cookie Cutter which includes a "Recipe for Motherhood" card would be fun items for your guests. 4Showers also offers Baby Shower Fortune Cookies and a "Bun in the Oven" scented candle. The "Over the Moon" Vintage Bookmark in Nursery Rhyme Keepsake Book Box from Amazon.com would be nice for a nursery rhyme themed shower.

Flowers are lovely, but when you are planning a party to celebrate your favorite mom-to-be, you might want to consider choosing baby shower centerpieces that can double as take-home baby shower keepsakes, both for your guests and for the expectant mother.

If you are planning a baby shower with a very traditional theme, there are some cute ideas out there for baby shower centerpieces that reflect very classic ideas. When you shower your favorite mom-to-be with gifts, you are, of course, playing on the idea of rain. Why not take idea that one step further and choose actual umbrellas for your centerpieces? You could go very classic, like this white lace parasol from ABabyShower.com, which is adorned with 20 pink and blue ribbons. The retailer suggests that each guest sign the ribbons, creating a keepsake centerpiece that will remind the guest of honor of her special day for years to come. You could also purchase several more umbrellas, either classic or with another theme, like these cute ones duck-themed ones from Amazon.com, and put one on each table. Or how about a more fashion-forward umbrella, like the Merrimekko umbrella collection from Umbrellas.net? Then, do a raffle to see who gets to take one home.

If you're planning a party for a mom-to-be with high style, it is super-easy to find a baby shower theme that reflects her fashionista attitude. Gone are the days when you were stuck with giant plastic diaper pins and pink bonnets -- now you can find stylish and modern themes and decorations to reflect those moms who never give up their sense of personal style.

We are inspired by this amazing gallery of stylish baby shower cakes from Pink Cake Box, many of which feature sleek and sexy mamas perched atop, wearing very fashion-forward maternity dresses. The bright colors, playful decorations and overall super-stylish look of these cakes make a great jumping-off point for your baby shower theme. We love the idea of bright and fresh colors mixed with accents of black -- which, as we all know, is the true mark of a fashion diva. After all, what fashionista mom-to-be doesn't have that perfect little black maternity dress in her closet?

Planning a baby shower? Got game? Here are five ideas for baby shower games that go beyond guess the expectant mom's tummy size.

Baby name song game: Get musical with this baby shower challenge. Divide shower guests into teams of two or three. The hostess serves as moderator. Teams take turns naming songs with the word "baby" in the title. Once a team fails to name a baby-titled song, that team is eliminated. The hostess may also want to prepare a baby song mix CD and ask guests to "name that baby tune." Feeling more adventurous? A hilarious baby shower game could be to challenge guests to sing their baby songs. You may even want to include a karaoke machine in your party plans.

Throwing a baby shower for a friend can be so much fun, but also really expensive. DIY decorations for the baby shower can be a cost effective and fun way to make the shower special!

On The Walls

Some ideas for DIY decorations on the walls are simple, like crepe paper or streamers. Other baby shower decorating ideas include putting a clothes line up along a wall. This can be used for either hanging the adorable outfits the mom-to-be unwraps so everyone can ooh and ahh over them, or you can hang disposable diapers from them with a letter on each diaper to spell maybe the baby's name, or "Welcome Baby," "Baby Shower" or something similar. This is an easy DIY decoration for a baby shower, and will add cuteness to your party.

On The Tables

Instead of getting plastic tablecloths for your baby shower, use receiving blankets to cover your tables. Have your guests bring a baby photo of themselves and put them into little frames and place them on tables around the room, turn it into a guessing game. Instead of flowers, try making washcloth flower bouquet DIY decorations. If you know the baby's gender, you can get pink or blue, or else you can get yellow, with just a few pink and blue to add color. You can also get empty baby food jars from other friends with babies and use them for votive candle holders.

On the Main Table

One of the best DIY baby shower decorations is a diaper cake. You can use washcloths, towels, and receiving blankets if you'd rather, but what new mom doesn't need diapers? This is a wonderful easy project that you can make as simple or elaborate as you want. Some people stick small baby items inside the diapers, others decorate the "cake" with little items all over it. The best part of this DIY decoration is that once you understand the basic how-to , you can personalize it very easily. The diaper cake makes a great centerpiece for your baby shower table. You can surround it with a few more baby food jar votive candle holders, toss a few colorful pacifiers around and your table will be ready for food, drinks, and serving.

Outside the Entrance

To greet your baby shower guests, tie the strings of some helium balloons to a newborn sized diaper filled with gravel. You can put a basket of more washcloth flowers or lollypops near the door, and make a banner with your computer to hang on the doorway.

Another DIY baby shower decoration project that is easy and can be placed around the house or venue are helium balloons with pacifiers tied to the end as weights. If you have a theme like ducks, bunnies, or teddy bears, you can use small rubber duckies, or plush bunnies or bears as balloon weights.

If the mom-to-be is receiving a large item, like a stroller, bassinet, or crib, or if you have one in your home, you can tie balloons to it, make it colorful with crepe streamers, and use it to store all the gifts as they arrive. It's a great way to display and contain the presents.

Once you decide on a theme for your baby shower decorations, it's easy to find all sorts of DIY decorating projects. With a little creativity you can give the mom-to-be a baby shower she'll always remember and cherish.